Embracing the Flow: How Your Body's Changes Tell a Story
Change is Constant, and That’s Okay
I hit five years on hormones earlier this year, and while I have long since stopped counting the months, it’s always good to stop and take stock of the ways in which the body I live in now is so different from the body I dragged into that doctor’s office a lifetime ago now. I’m thirty pounds heavier than I was then, which is scary to think about in part because I still am thinner than I would like. It’s a big milestone, but also long enough to realize that the changes wrought by hormones are far from the only way my body has changed in that time.
We spend so much time in our minds that we sometimes forget about the constant changes happening in our bodies. It’s easy to overlook how our sensations, needs, and relationship to the world shift over time. Whether you're navigating a gender transition, recovering from trauma, or simply aging, your body is always in motion. And in that movement, there’s something profoundly human: change.
In a culture that often values predictability and sameness, it can be unsettling to recognize how much change is happening underneath our skin, out of view. We crave consistency, but the truth is, the only constant is change, and nowhere is this more evident than in our bodies. Embracing that shift isn’t always easy, but it’s a necessary part of personal growth.
The Shifting Landscape of the Body
If you’ve ever paused to notice, you'll find that your body doesn’t experience the world the same way it used to. Maybe you once moved through your day with ease, but now a walk around the block leaves you sore. Maybe foods you once loved now make you feel off. Maybe your emotions hit you differently now—deeper, softer, or sharper. These subtle shifts are part of the ongoing dance of life.
For those undergoing a gender transition, this shift can feel like it's happening in high definition. Hormonal treatments, surgeries, or even just the act of dressing in a way that aligns with your gender identity brings awareness to the body in ways you may not have noticed before. Your body becomes a canvas where transformation is visible and felt—shifting not just how you are perceived by others, but how you perceive yourself.
But even outside of transition, we all experience this in more ordinary ways. Our bodies evolve as we move through different stages of life. The softness of childhood gives way to the sharp angles of adolescence, which in turn blend into the adult body's steadier form. Eventually, aging brings its own transformations—skin loosens, strength wanes, but there’s a different kind of wisdom in these shifts.
The Importance of Noticing
What’s important in this journey is learning to pay attention. We don’t always take the time to stop and feel the way our bodies are changing. We live in a world where we’re conditioned to push forward without reflection, but there’s a power in pausing. In noticing how your body responds to new stimuli, how your desires shift, and how the way you inhabit space evolves, you can better understand the story your body is telling.
During a gender transition, healing from trauma, or aging, this becomes even more crucial. Your body is undergoing profound change, and it’s easy to get swept up in a desire for a “final” version of yourself. You might think, “Once I’ve completed this step, then I’ll be done.” But the truth is, there’s never a finish line. There’s always going to be more change—some expected, some surprising.
By noticing these shifts as they come, by being present with each new sensation or experience, you can build a deeper connection with yourself. Instead of seeing change as something that happens to you, you start to see it as something that happens within you. Your body, as it moves through time, becomes a partner in your journey rather than something you have to manage or control.
Allowing Time for the Process
One of the hardest parts of this process is patience. We often want to see immediate results when we make changes to our bodies, whether those changes are intentional—like taking hormones or working out—or simply part of life’s passage. But the body needs time. Time to adjust. Time to heal. Time to settle into its new form.
Allow yourself that space. Don’t rush to a conclusion. Let your body evolve at its own pace, and be kind to yourself as you adapt. Remember that your experience is just as valid during the transition as it is at any imagined “after.” In fact, the in-between is where much of life happens. It’s where you grow, learn, and discover new aspects of yourself.
Your body will surprise you—sometimes in beautiful ways and sometimes in frustrating ones. What’s important is learning to roll with those surprises. That’s where you’ll find resilience, and ultimately, joy in the ever-changing landscape of your body.
Honoring Your Needs
As your body changes, so too do its needs. Maybe you need more rest than you used to. Maybe you need to stretch more, or to be more mindful of how certain activities affect you. This is especially true during a gender transition or as you work through trauma. Your body may be more sensitive, more reactive, or simply in need of a different kind of care.
Listen to those needs. Give yourself permission to rest. To move. To nourish your body in the ways that feel right, even if they’re different from what worked in the past. Part of embracing change is recognizing that what you needed yesterday may not be what you need today.
How Others Perceive Your Changing Body
It’s important to remember that just as your own relationship with your body shifts over time, so does how the world interacts with you. Our bodies communicate silently with others, influencing their perceptions and expectations. As your body changes—whether through gender transition, healing from trauma, or simply aging—the way people see and react to you will change as well.
You might notice different energies from those around you. As your physical form evolves, the way others respond to you, whether in small everyday interactions or deeper relationships, shifts with it. People may begin to see you in a way that feels truer to who you are, or sometimes, their reactions might feel confusing or even out of step with how you feel inside.
It’s important to give others the space to adjust, just as you’re learning to embrace and understand your own body’s transformation. Their reactions are a reflection of the moment—of how your body appears right now—not of your inherent worth. And just as you grow into your own skin over time, others will adjust their perceptions of you, allowing them to see you more clearly as the person you are becoming.
Change is Constant, and That’s Okay
Your body will never be the same as it was yesterday. It will keep changing in ways you can’t predict. But there’s freedom in accepting that change. When you stop fighting against it, when you let go of the need to control every aspect of your body’s evolution, you open yourself up to something deeper: a relationship with yourself that’s built on understanding, patience, and self-compassion. On one hand, I noticed a new line on my face the other day. On the other, I noticed that my knees no longer ache the way they once did when I kneel, a hard-won change made by a half-decade of regular yoga.
Whether you’re transitioning, healing, or simply moving through life, remember that your body is doing its best to adapt to the world around it. Be gentle with it. Be gentle with yourself. Change is the only constant, and in that, there’s power.
